Representing a Disreputable House

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on a particular house in Copenhagen, that belonging to the Cabinet Minister Johann Friedrich Struensee, and offers a detailed reading of the events surround its destruction by rioters in 1772. During the night of 17 January 1772 a riot took place in Copenhagen following the imprisonment of Cabinet Minster Johann Friedrich Struensee. The popular celebration of his downfall in the streets of Copenhagen turned into a riot during which more than 70 ‘disreputable houses’ around the city were attacked by the crowd. The houses were demolished. The violent event was called ‘The Great Clean-Up Party’ by the sympathizers of the mayhem – implying that the Copenhageners were cleaning up after the immoral regime of Struensee. The chapter explores the representations of The Great Clean-Up Party as rendered in the Press Freedom Writings to highlight how one particular man and his house were exposed to public contempt.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMicro-geographies of the Western City, c. 1750-1900
EditorsAlida Clemente, Dag Linstrom, Jon Stobart
Number of pages13
PublisherRoutledge
Publication date2021
Pages72-84
ISBN (Electronic)9780429329395
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

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